


Kitsune In Training: A My Hero Academia/Shonen Jump/Etc? Fanfic

by Sunvulpine



Category: Shonen Jump - Fandom, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-09-30
Packaged: 2020-09-29 13:17:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20436665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sunvulpine/pseuds/Sunvulpine
Summary: The barriers between the worlds collectively known as "Jump" are collapsing. Aiko Akiko, a young woman with an unimpressive Quirk learns that there's more to herself and her Quirk than meets the eye, and she's swiftly enlisted in the great task of making friends, becoming a hero, and saving the Jump worlds. Also I threw in a genderswapped Kamen Rider Decade because I'm a jerk.Aiko herself is the reincarnation of a Kitsune goddess, and she has a long way to go before she uncovers the true extent of her powers. Thankfully, she has her puppet-fairy companion Yoko to help her along her way.NB: Can't guarantee consistant updates, and I can't guarantee frequency of crossovers, as this first stretch is going to be very MHA focused. I intend for the integration of characters from other works to come as a slow burn. Also, there will probably be F x F romances at some point.Also, this is rated Mature, but only pre-emptively: There isn't anything smutty in this. Yet. But there probably will be. At some point.





	1. Aiko Akiko: Origin

It was a brisk summer morning. The heat was already sweltering, and school hadn’t even started yet. I remember waking to the sound of the ticking clock on my wall. It was an old thing, ornamental, with delicately carved wood and an open glass display of it’s inner mechanical workings. It had been a gift from my father, when I turned sixteen.

  
That clock always felt out of place in my otherwise drab room. There were some faded anime and manga posters plastered here and there, and an old computer that took forever to hit up the web. The clock was probably worth more than all of my possessions combined. I think that’s why I looked at it with a little spite. It reminded me too much of my father.

  
He had much wealth left over from his pro hero days. Jungle Man, they called him. He was even in the top five at one point. But after a messy divorce with my mother, he wasn’t a sharing type. We lived well enough, but I wished there were more than some family photos and a fancy clock to remember him by. He was always too busy, running his company, or off in another part of the world.

  
Our Tokyo apartment only barely met our needs; if Mom had another kid we’d have to move. But she was happy staying here, happy not finding another man and happy raising me.

  
That’s right. We live in a superpowered society, where just about everyone has some kind of ability, be it major or minor. This threw the world into chaos, and as a result, hero work became a profession. As for my powers? I didn’t inherit my dad’s ability to shapeshift, or his strength.

  
I can talk to animals. Kind of. It’s not a thing that always happens with words, but I can understand what they’re feeling. Hear their inner emotions. Know what they want. But the apartment’s landlord doesn’t allow pets, so I haven’t been able to make much use of it. It’s only a fragment of my father’s powers, and I didn’t inherit anything from my mother other than her good looks.

  
“I’m gonna be in the UA entrance exams. For real.” Rika said, practically bouncing up and down as we shared the sidewalk.

  
“Aren’t those super dangerous?” I said, with a frown.

  
“You’re always such a worry wart, Aiko.” Rika waved me off. “Can’t be a Pro without having an appetite for danger, after all.”

  
“Not everyone has a Quirk like yours.”

  
“Oh please. It’s just a spike generation Quirk.”

  
“At least it has offensive potential. How far can you shoot those things again? Fifty meters?”

  
“A hundred. Set a new record last night.”

  
“Still. That’s pretty cool.”

  
“You’re just jealous.”

  
“Maybe I am.”

  
“Maybe you are.”

  
“What are we even fighting about?”

  
“We were fighting?”

  
“If we were, you’d be winning.”

  
“Maybe I am.”

  
“Oh please.”

Without warning, the sound of a distant explosion sent shockwaves through the streets. I stumbled back, grabbing onto a signpost to keep on my feet. “What the crap was that?”

  
“A villain attack?” Rika’s eyes widened not in fear, but in glee. “Come on, Aiko! We’ll get to see the heroes up close!” She grabbed my hand and dragged me towards danger.

  
A small crowd had already gathered, as one would expect from such a loud disturbance. A lumbering, humanoid monster was busting up a small appliance store, and a hero was already on the scene— Kamui Woods. For such a lumbering thing, the monster was incredibly agile, ducking and weaving through the spindly tree branches that Kamui summoned to entangle him with.

  
“What’d he do?” I overheard another civilian in conversation.

  
“Caused an argument with a cashier that got out of hand. I was there myself.”

  
“What a waste of a Quirk.”

  
Within minutes, the villain was subdued. Kamui handed him over to the cops, and all that was left was an assessment of the situation.

  
I turned away, the spectacle quickly fading from memory.

  
_‘Aiko…’_

  
A voice filtered through my consciousness. It was unlike anything I’d heard before, and it felt like it was reverberating through my skull.

  
“Hey, are you okay there? You’re looking pale.” Rika’s voice was distant, almost a whisper.

  
“I’m fine.” It was an autopilot response. Because I wasn’t fine. “…Cramps.” I said, thinking that would be as good an excuse as any.

  
_‘Aiko…!’_ The voice was louder this time. I rubbed my hands against my temples, trying to shake it off.

  
My senses were on overload, and I felt like I was burning up. The next thing I knew I was on the ground. Someone was vaguely calling for help— I didn’t know if it was me or Rika.

  
When I woke I was lying down against the wall in a strange house.

  
“I think it might be heatstroke.” Rika’s voice came through.

  
“Well it seems she’s coming around. It’s been a hotter summer than usual, so keep on your toes.” A man’s voice, vaguely familiar, responded.

  
‘Aiko…’ My skull was still reverberating, though the voice was quieter this time. I tried to tune it out.

  
I looked up to see Kamui Woods looking down at me, holding out a water bottle. “It’s important to stay hydrated, miss.”

  
“I… Thanks?” I took the water, and had a swig, just to be polite. “Uh, what happened?”

  
“You passed out.” Rika said.

  
“I was hearing voices…” I blurted out. Like an idiot.

  
“Must be the heatstroke.” Kamui said.

  
“Wait, aren’t you on hero duty?”

  
“Part of being a Pro is assisting civilians. Will you be okay on your own?”

  
“Yeah, I should be.”

  
Kamui gave a bow and leapt out. His voice trailed behind him. “Don’t forget to stay hydrated!”

  
Rika and I stared out after him. Then we met each other’s gaze, and snickered. “Alright. We’ll be late for class, but at least you have an excuse.”

  
_‘AIKO!’_  
I leapt to my feet. “What is it?! What do you want?!”

  
“Aiko? I don’t underst—”

  
“Get out of my head!” I covered my ears in a panic and ran from the room. Rika trailed after me, but I was only vaguely aware of her at this point.

  
“What’s wrong? You’re having some kind of mental break—” Rika said.

  
“Voice. Head.” I said, through clenched teeth. I could feel the presence getting stronger the farther down the sidewalk I ran. “Think it’s Quirk related.” I finished, with exasperation.

  
“You think it’s an animal? What kind of animal could have such a strong presence that—”

  
“Don’t know. Hoping to find out.” I could only speak in rushed sentences. We were past the sidewalk now, running down an alley. “Rika? We’re skipping school today.”

  
“Why? I—”

  
“I need you for navigation. This thing is pummelling my br—”

  
_‘Aiko!’ _

  
I think I bit into my tongue because I tasted blood.

  
“Where do you need to go? If it’s the hospital, I can take you there.”

  
“No. Not the hospital.” I gestured vaguely in a direction. Whatever the presence was, that’s where it was pulling me. “We need to go over that way. I don’t think our feet will be enough. Bus. What bus goes in that direction?”

  
“Uhhh… The 43. It’ll be here in five minutes. Can you hold it together until then?”

  
“I think so.”

  
We sat on the bench beside the bus stop while I nursed my growing migraine. The voice kept repeating my name every couple minutes, as if a spectre hovering over my shoulder.

  
“Is it still…?” Rika had a hand over my shoulder.

  
I nodded. “Yeah.”

  
The bus arrived right on time— you can count on Japanese punctuality. It was an agonising half an hour to the other side of the city, right on the outskirts. Abruptly, I signalled the bus to stop, and we were on our feet again.

  
“Are you sure you want to get off here?!” Rika shouted.

  
“Too late to doubt, now! We have to keep going!”

  
The steel and stone maze gave way to lush, mountainous greenery. I found myself off the beaten path, climbing. Rika, ever the trooper, hot on my tail.

  
Kamui Woods had the right idea about hydration.

  
“This is a prank, right?” Rika said, as we were climbing. “One big old joke. A lark. A jape. You’re going to tell us to turn around any second now, and this was all one big excuse for a day off of school.”

  
I wasn’t able to confirm or deny her ravings, because the pain in my head got so great that I nearly fell. “Oh, shut up already! I’m here!” I belted out, at the top of my lungs.

  
The sensations vanished. My head was miraculously cleared. “…Oh wow. I’d almost forgotten what it felt like to not be in excruciating pain.”

  
“Aiko?”

  
“It’s just up ahead, Rika.” I said. And indeed, a small path opened up in the middle of the mountainous woods. We were met with steps, rising up gently skyward.

  
“Solid ground. Thank the gods.” Rika sounded exhausted. I handed her my half empty water bottle. She drank from it eagerly.

  
The climb lasted five minutes, and I grew surer of my destination with each following step.

  
An old shrine greeted us at the top of our climb. It had been restored completely, and was apparently a hot spot for locals and tourists alike, because there was a crowd there. The smell of street food filled the air, from an extended plateau overlooking Tokyo just on the edge of the shrine. It was, more or less, a separate establishment, in order to provide refreshments for visitors while not encroaching on the shrine land itself. The smell of Takoyaki made my stomach rumble.

  
Despite the hustle and bustle, a sacred aura permeated through the air. I walked forward, in a daze.

“Aiko…?” Rika said, tilting her head. “We probably could have walked up the road to get here. Like normal people. God, we both look messy…”

“If anyone asks, just say we’re doing some advanced training for track.” I waved my hand. We certainly looked the part; two tired-looking, sweaty teenaged girls looking like they didn’t want to be there? Check.

  
Thump-thump. The sound of my heartbeat filled my ears as I approached the courtyard of the shrine. There was a statue in the middle, towering high. It was of a fox-eared woman with nine tails, kneeling down with a bowl of something in her hands, a flowing kimono adorning her. This statue called to me, an ethereal presence, tied to the voice in my head.

  
Suddenly, the ground shook. A cry from the gathered crowd echoed, as a plume of dark smoke ushered from the ground. A dozen little green creatures with sharp claws, beady eyes, and many teeth rose from the ground.  
Screams of terror filled the air. The crowd began to scatter. I saw it as if in slow motion. A little girl was in direct line of sight from the green monsters. There were no heroes around. I don’t know what I was thinking. Maybe I wasn’t thinking at all. My legs just moved on their own accord. I pushed the girl out of the way of an attack, and got greeted with a gash on my shoulder for it.

  
“Aiko!” Rika screamed in panic. A spike appeared in the back of the little green thing’s head, and it tumbled over, twitching.

  
I turned to look up at the girl I’d just saved. She was staring at me, frozen in terror. “Flee!” I shouted at her. She didn’t need to be told a second time.

  
Rika kicked one of the green men in the gut with a spiked boot and hurried over to help me back onto my feet. “Is it bad?” She asked.

  
Some of the civilians were using their meager Quirks to hold off the assault. There were a good seven or eight of the monsters left. There had to be more that I could do.

  
Out on the forest border, I saw a flash of orange fur. A fox. I called out to it with my mind, communicating my terror—communicating the situation, and the need for a brave friend. Immediately, the normally shy fox leaped from the bushes it had been hiding in, bounding towards the monsters. Then another. And another. It was a pack of foxes, verses scrawny, leathery green monsters.

  
I let out a battle cry. Most of the civilians had managed to flee without injury by this point— the only people crazy enough to stick around seemed to be Rika and I. Between the pack of foxes and Rika, the monsters were swiftly dispatched.

  
“Don't tell me your power isn't useful ever again.” Rika panted, covered in weird purple blood.

  
“What… Were those things…?” I panted, clutching at my shoulder.

  
It was then that I realized the five sets of amber eyes staring up at me. I stared down at them, in turn. “Um… Good job.” I said.

  
They didn’t scatter. Instead, they watched me, as if waiting for something more. I could tell they weren’t hungry. They weren’t wanting praise. With a shock, I realized they were waiting for a command.

  
“You’re dismissed.” I said. “Go.” Four of the five foxes scattered. The one who remained walked towards the statue, sitting next to it and staring at me.

  
_‘Aiko!’_

  
It was the fox. The voice sounded delighted. “You… Can talk?” I said, staring down at it.

  
“Huh?” Rika said. “What’s that?”

  
“I heard— the voice…”

  
_‘We’ve been waiting for so long.’_

  
I could tell what it wanted, though not why. One foot after the other, I walked towards the statute, the pain in my shoulder a distant throb.

  
I placed a hand on the stone statue. It was cold, at first. Then warm. Turning hot.

  
My hand was affixed to the statue, drawing upon it. I cried out as the foundation of my being was rocked to the very core.

  
The sky darkened. I was floating above the scene, staring down at Rika and I, frozen in time. An out of body experience? Some Quirks could facilitate these, true, but they were rare, and usually focused on the person with the power. My Quirk wasn’t anything like that.

  
“You’re here.” The voice was the same as the one that rattled my head. Floating in this strange atmosphere was one thing, turning around was another. Somehow, I managed.

  
Floating above the shrine was a pale yellow, golden figure. A woman, wearing an ornate flowing white robe, adorned by her crown of lengthy golden hair.

  
“Who’re…?” I said, slowly. She’d been speaking through the fox.

  
“Hi there.” The woman waved. “I suppose I’m what you would call a god of this universe. Just one of a few, though. A high ranked messenger from on high.”

  
“Huh?” It was an impossible prospect. Clearly I was just seeing things.

  
“A perfectly natural response. To be expected, really. The truth of the matter is, I’m the one who called you here. Call me Kami-sama. Of course… That just means god. Or in this case, goddess. But a name is appropriate for introductions, after all.”

  
“Um… Hi. I’m Aiko. Though you probably knew that already.” I stared at the woman who called herself Kami-sama blankly.

  
“You’re a cute one. I bet you’re popular with all of the girls.”

  
“…I’m a girl…” I said.

  
“Yes, yes. I suppose you’re only just starting to discover your tastes in other— ah, I’m getting ahead of myself. Sorry. Omnipresence can be hard to keep in check.”

  
“…Right.”

  
“Anyway. Down to business. I’m betting you want to know why you were just attacked. We’ll get to that. This is but one world of many. A collective universe known as Jump.” She waved her hands. “Let’s not bore you on the details. They don’t quite matter so much as you’d expect, and I’m sure other worlds can collide with this ecosystem given the opportunity. But we’re only concerned with Jump, at present.”

  
Kami-sama continued. “It appears that due to an unknown reason, the walls between each Jump world are slowly breaking down. Frankly, it’s a nuisance. It’s not the first time this has happened, and we hate having to push the reset button when things go too far. There was a nasty incident with one Prince Vegeta, but… Well, you know, things work out in the end.”

  
“So… I was attacked from the result of this breakdown. Another Jump world.” I surmized.

  
“Yes. The creatures are known as Saibamen, and they’re not supposed to be here. Thankfully, you were right where you needed to be.”

  
“Uh-huh.” I said. “How’s that work? Why am I important? All I can do is talk to animals.”

  
“Ah. Well, that is a part of your Quirk, yes, but that isn’t all of it. And some of this goes beyond Quirks. Let me back up. We’re pre-empting some of the more dangerous incidents by pulling strings here and there. You’re one of those strings. We’ve had our eye on you for some time, because you’re the reincarnation of an ancient Kitsune spirit, a goddess in her own right. Your old self decided she was tired of the business we were making her do and chose to reincarnate herself. This was a thousand years ago, but for the divine, time is more of a suggestion than a hard rule. But in accordance with our preparations. We’re gonna give you a little poke in the direction of awakening to that power yourself.”

  
“Huuuuuuuh?”

  
“Take the Hero Course at UA with Rika. Make friends. Powerful friends. Friends who you’ll need to help you in the years to come. It may be a while before the Jump problem gets bad enough for you to act. You’ve got to learn how to be a hero before then, or you'll be crushed.”

  
“…I understand.” I said. A hero, huh? Well, it was a paying job. I was completely fine with a paying job. “I don’t think I’ll be a very great hero, though. I haven’t done anything remarkable.”

  
“Then why do you have that gash in your shoulder?”

“Mm?”

  
“…A great man once said— or is going to say, very soon, I can’t keep track of all these different timelines— that a common trait among great heroes is that their bodies just start moving when somebody is danger. That’s what you did. You saved that little girl’s life. With hard work, a little luck, and the power of friendship— the uniting force in all Jump worlds— you can help stop the Jump worlds from collapsing into one another.”

  
“….I accept the task.” I said. “And the mantle of my former self.”

  
“Then go with our blessing.”

  
My eyes snapped open. I was back in my body, and it was as if no time had passed. My body was shrouded in a golden aura. The force exhuding from the statue blew me back, and I fell onto the ground, letting out a cry.  
“Aiko!” Rika hurried to my side. The fox bounded towards me, before shimmering in a similar glow. I watched it transform, in real time, into a small woman with pixie wings, fox ears, and a red tail.

  
“Uhhhh…” I stared at the small fox-fairy, who fluttered to my side.

  
“I’m your familiar. Think of me as an aide!” She said, cheerily.

  
Perhaps someone with a clearer head could sort through all of the nonsense I was dealing with right now. All I could muster were the words “…Okay then!”

  
The effect on me had faded. I sat up, rubbing at my temples. That was when I noticed the first change. My ears were gone. Where they should have been was a matte of my hair, with flat skin behind it. And yet, I could still hear.

  
“You’re a foxgirl?” Rika blurted out, aghast. “No way!”

  
“Buh?” I raised my hands to touch my head, and indeed, there were soft ears atop it. I was made aware of two golden orange, white-tipped tails sprawled out over the pavement behind me.

  
“Holy crap. You look just like the lady in the statue.” Rika said.

  
I looked up at the statue, then pulled out my phone, turning on the face camera. “Holy crap. I do.”

  
_Thoom._

  
The sound of someone landing on the ground made me jump to my feet.

  
“Have no fear. For I am here.” A booming voice sounded throughout the shrine grounds. People started rising from their hiding places, the old crowd beginning to reappear once more, now that the danger was gone.

  
“All Might! It’s All Might!” One of the other civilians shouted.

  
No way. I turned around, eyes widening. Indeed, there, towering over all of us, was the towering wall of muscle himself. The number one hero. The symbol of peace.

  
“I see the problem has already been taken care of.” He said, in his usual, cheery demeanor. “What young heroes do I have to thank for protecting the common folk in my stead?”

  
Cornered rats were more nervous than I was at that moment.

  
“It was those two!” The little girl’s voice said. The one whom I’d saved. “The one with fox ears pushed me away from danger… She took a blow for me! Then the two of them beat up the green thingies! We watched the whole thing! Though she didn’t have fox ears before…” She sounded excited, her voice a full on babble.

  
“That lady can summon spikes! Her Quirk is super cool!” One of the boys said, pointing to Rika.

  
“Well now!” All Might placed his hands on his hips and beamed. “The world needs more heroes like you young women! Study hard and keep your eyes focused on the future! Maybe some day, you and I will be fighting together!”

  
“Um… Thanks.” I said, abashed. How could I turn down an offer like that? From the symbol of peace himself…

  
At this point, other Heroes had started to show up on scene. We found ourselves being pulled away to give a detailed run down of everything that had happened. Throughout all of this, I was trying to find a way to make my tails and ears vanish. No dice. I was completely stuck with them.

  
“Don’t worry about it too much.” My familiar said, startling me out of contemplation. It was the afternoon, now. We were both being given lifts home in a low ranking pro hero’s car. “You’ll hurt your head doing that.”

  
“Oh my gods. I completely forgot about you.” I clutched at my chest, heaving a sigh.

  
The foxfairy fluttered to my shoulder and sat upon it, light and delicate. She was, in a word, pretty, now that I got a close look at her. In fact, she almost looked like the statue lady herself… “Hey, fairy girl?”

  
“Yeah?”

  
“You’re just a tiny version of me, aren’t you.”

  
“You gotcha.” She gave me the thumbs up. “With one less tail, and wings to help me get around.”

  
“Why is that, I wonder?”

  
“Because I was created from you. You gave me form and heart.”

  
“So what are you, exactly?”

  
“Think of me as an extension of yourself.” The fairy said. “We share souls, in a sense. Minds, too. I’m like, uh… How do I put this. A puppet. With a little knowledge of her own, aside from some helpful guidance and direction from the gods to impart to you. Outside of that, use me as you see fit. I am you, you are me.”

  
“….You’re a weirdo.” Rika said, making me remember she was sitting right next to me. She poked at the fairy. “I’m supposed to believe you’re Aiko too?”

  
“Well, think of me like… a little sister, then, if it helps. Aiko is big sis. Who still hasn’t named me yet.”

  
“Um… Put a pin in that.” I said, patting the fairy’s head. If I focused just a little, I could feel my gentle hands upon my own head. To call it strange would be underselling it.

  
“It’s okay. You can call me little sis until you have a name for me.” The fairy said.

  
“I’ll… I’ll call you Yoko. How’s that?”

  
Yoko beamed. “I love it. It’s the name of my first OC! —well… Your? First OC?” Yoko tilted her head, placing a finger on her lip. “How’s that work, anyway?”

  
“Don’t ask me.”

  
“Yeah, she’s you.” Rika piped in. “God. Who thought you’d get a weird Quirk like this, Aiko.”

  
“It’s complicated.” I said, slumping back in my seat, exhausted. Yoko fluttered down from my shoulder to rest comfortably between my breasts.

  
“Yes… Quite the developement. I’m going to have to research Quirk growth. For your sake…”

  
The hero dropped me off first. Mom was home now, and exceedingly worried about me. Upon seeing my new form, she was slackjawed. Thankfully, the Pro Hero helped explain what went down, and mom’s an accepting type if nothing else. We hugged it out, and went back inside.

  
“…Mom?” I said, pausing on the first step to the second floor.

  
“Yeah?”

  
“I’ve decided where I’m going. Sign me up for UA.”

  
I then proceeded to walk into my room and collapse face-first into my pillow. Yoko squealed, crushed by my chest. Thankfully, it wasn’t painful. Focusing on her senses was, in fact, rather amusing. She cralwed out from under them and pulled aside a pillow for herself to nap on.

  
My big body fell asleep first. I could tell, because my consciousness was shunted to the fairy form. It was the first time I was fully aware inside it, and I tried my best not to think about it, or how I’d manage having to put not one but two bodies to sleep every night. Slowly, I fell well and truly into the realm of dreams.


	2. Let's Figure This Out, Shall We?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aiko begins the process of figuring out what exactly it is she can do, and what her plans are for attaining her goal: Entrance to UA.

Saying you’re going to do something is all well and good, but hastily made plans are quickly laid to rest. UA for me was only two months away, and I had no idea what to expect. Each year they seemed to throw out what they did last year and do something new, so that way new entrants couldn’t prepare based on past entry tests. That, and I’d only acquired my Quirk’s true form yesterday. I had no idea what I was going to do, or if I even had any offensive power at all. And use of Quirks by non-Pros was prohibited on school grounds.

  
Thankfully, I had good reason to have the next day free from school obligations. I couldn’t always count on that being the case, though, so I had to use these twenty four hours carefully.

  
“You could make me sleep during the day while you sleep during the night. Your full consciousness inhabits either one of these bodies if the other is somehow incapacitated.” Yoko said, fluttering close by. “That way you can have more time in the day to plan and practice.”

  
“No, I think that would drive me insane.” I said. “There are some days where it probably won’t be able to be avoided, but the brain needs rest for a reason. Just because I can doesn’t mean I should.” I paused. “Besides, how are you able to even reply independently of me, anyway?”

  
“I’m on autopilot until I’m not.” Yoko said. “And I act like how you think a fairy would act.”

  
“Um… Okay.”

  
“You’ll get used to it.”

  
Thinking about the kinds of things I could use a fairy puppet for was dangerous. “Wait. Do you need to uh. Eat? Poop?”

  
“Yes, but only a little bit.”

  
“I’ll need to tell mom to prepare an extra tiny plate for meals, then. If you need anything else, just tell me.”

  
“Of course.”

  
So. I had a full, free day ahead of me. Mom would be out at work, and I had no siblings, which meant I was left to my own devices. Mom would scream at me if I tested any new powers I had inside, and I didn’t want to be seen messing around in public. That meant I needed some kind of secluded area to avoid being noticed.

  
Before I left, I checked the Hero Message Boards for information on the attack yesterday. There was a blurry video of Rika and I kicking butt, but thankfully, nobody got a clear snap of our faces. There was plenty of All Might, though. In fact, if he hadn’t been there, we probably wouldn’t have been able to escape notice as much as we did. It pays to have a loveable personality.

  
After morning prep and breakfast, I wound up taking the bus a good long distance to get to a fairly secluded location. It was a small field, just outside of the city. Big enough to get lost in, small enough that you wouldn’t be lost for long. It was there that I began ruminating on what exactly having Kitsune powers would entail. Certainly, I didn’t have a physically built body for strength work. That was more my fault. I avoided track practice wherever I could. Heroes, however, couldn’t stand having a weak physique. That would be one area I’d definitely need to punch up on if I set my sights towards UA.

  
“Physique.. Speediness, strength, agility, reflexes.” Yoko said. “One category, yes, but it requires many different types of training.”

  
“And that isn’t even getting into my actual Quirk. That’s just what’s necessary to be able to keep up with everyone else on field work.” I said. Pacing helped me think, so I paced. “You said you’re here to guide me, right?”

  
Yoko began her ramble. “Well, no. Not exactly. I can guide you, yes, but my primary purpose is to be your puppet. Tell me a thing and I’ll do it. Tell me to act a certain way and I will. Tell me to believe certain things and I just might do that. For now I’m operating as how you would expect a fairy to act. Kinda ditzy. Hyperactive. Energetic. But you can mold me any which way you please. You could even completely separate me from your personality and memories if you wanted me to act like an independent person, or if I’m too close to you for your own tastes. Of course, when you take me over if you’re asleep or unconscious and I’m not, you’ll have full control. I, however, don’t have the ability to control you if you’re likewise unconscious, because that would just be weird. In any case, I’m, more or less, a blank slate. Yours to do with as you please. You can even reshape my physical form, so long as it maintains fairy size. Heck, it’s even possible to make me bigger eventually, but not with your power level as it currently stands. But for now… Do you have any alterations you’d like to make, master?” She gave a playful, knowing wink with the last word.

  
“Um, I’ll leave you like you are, for now. So do you know how my Quirk is supposed to work, now that it’s been activated beyond the whole talking to animals shtick?”

  
“Nope. The goddesses— they’re all girls, yes, not a single dude governs any universe as far as I’m aware— decided that you would need to figure that out on your own, like everyone else. Only then would you be able to properly grow into your abilities, you see.”

  
“That’s annoying, but it makes sense.” I said. “So. Quirk: Kitsune. I pulled out a notebook, jotting that down as a header. Physical journals had a more tactile sensation than digital ones, and I liked that. “An additional puppet body to inhabit and order around.” I listed as the first power. “Is that a trait specific to the whole Kitsune ordeal or is it just a me thing? A gift from the goddesses?”

  
“I said I don’t really know the ins and outs of your quirk. Well, my quirk, too, but let’s not make this any more confusing than it needs to be.” Yoko laughed. “I do know about me, though. At least a little bit. I’m not a gift from the gods. Even if they hadn’t intervened to prematurely awaken you, I’d still have popped right up outta you.”

  
“So it is Quirk related.”

  
“Insomuch as your Kitsune powers are a Quirk, yes.”

  
“Come again?”

  
“Even before people had Quirks, Aiko, the world was strange.” Yoko said. “You’re part of the reincarnation of that legacy. So, yes, you have a Quirk, much like most people do. But you’re also tapping into that aetherial strangeness from the before years. Simply put, you’re an oddity. One might even call you supernatural. Unlike other Quirks which manifest at a really young age, yours is more spread out, in stages.”

  
“And how do you know? I thought you didn’t know how my Quirk was supposed to work.” I folded my arms.

  
“A little part of me is, ah, what you might call a black box.” Yoko smiled cryptically. “From your past self.”

  
“Oh.”

  
“_Oh_ indeed.”

  
“For every answer, yet another question.” I said. “Did the older me also have a… puppet fairy?”

  
“Yes.” Yoko said. “That much I know. But most of the memories from back then are sealed away, never to be looked upon unless needed. You’re your own person. That was the most fundamental part of the desire to be reborn, and memories from long ago would taint that.”

  
What a mess. “Okay then. So. I’ve just listed down some stuff about Reincarnation specifically, in the middle of the journal as opposed to at the start. We’re gonna section off the stuff in this and keep it orderly. Right now I’m more concerned with what I can do than how I can do it. We’ll figure out the latter part as we go.”

  
“Right.” Yoko punched the air. “Quirk experimentation time!”

  
I pulled out my phone and began to look up what exactly a traditional, mythical Kitsune would be able to accomplish.

  
“….Illusory magic… Fire magic…” I said, tapping my lower lip as I kept reading. “General spiritual freakiness.”

  
“Oooh. Fire. Probably not a good idea in an open field, though.” Yoko said.

  
I looked to the sky, raising my hand towards the heavens. I drew from within my own internal blaze, trying to push it outwards.

  
I got smoke.

  
It was something.

  
“…This is going to take a while.”


	3. The Man With a Pink Camera

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, Aiko returns back to her school and a mysterious transfer student is introduced.
> 
> (I just made things so, sooooooo much more complicated.)

I couldn’t avoid school forever, even if I was nearing the end of my tenure. The next morning, staring out of the window of my mom’s car to the school’s gates was like looking down the barrel of a gun. I’d been spending so much time focusing on creating plans for my grand UA entrance that I’d completely forgotten about still having to fill out the last few months of regular school.

  
I’d also completely forgotten that I had a lovely set of ears and a big, unmissable tail poking out just above my butt. They were sure to raise some eyebrows.

  
“Don’t worry, Aiko. You’ll be fine.” Mom said.

  
“Thanks.” I got out of the car. Well, Quirks like mine certainly weren’t unusual. There was a girl in the next class over that was part cat. And there was a boy in the more advanced classes that had a bird face. Those facts helped settle my nerves a bit.

  
The weird thing was entering my class— people who’ve known me for several years by this point. Heads did turn. One of my other friends startled. “Ladies and gents.” She said, striking a bow. “We stan our Vixen queen.”

  
A few people snickered, but most rolled their eyes.

“And princess.” Yoko piped up, fluttering just by the side of my head.

  
“Wh— I thought you were kidding about the fairy! Well, I guess we have another member of the class.”

  
“Aiko!” Rika hurried up from her seat and glommed to my shoulder. “You look sharper than ever. Did you do something new with your hair?”

  
“I kind of had to.” I confessed. “These ears are a pain for style.”

  
Rika prodded at my ears. “Fluffy though.”

  
“Quit that.”

  
“I like it. So uh. The video of us beating up those green things spread around school like wildfire.”

  
“Wh—but—” I startled. “You couldn’t even tell who those blurry-ass figures were!”

  
“Oh please. Anyone who knows us would know it was us. They know my spikes. And they saw fox tails. And a little fairy fella. Now that they see you, well, it’s obvious.”

  
“Oh gods.” I ran my fingers up to my temples. “I hope that doesn’t mean—”

  
A weight pushed me forward slightly before settling on my shoulder. “What’s up, foxbutt? Gonna save a cat from a tree next?”

  
Shane Williamson was resting his weight upon me. British transfer student. Grade-A asshole.

  
“Not today, dude.” I said. Yoko stuck out her tongue at Shane and made faces.

  
“I brought a fly swatter after I heard about your Quirk.” As if to prove he wasn’t joking, Shane pulled out an honest-to-gods fly swatter, eyeing down my pint-sized self. Yoko fled to the rafters. Shane laughed.

  
“I don’t think you want to assault a fellow student. You don’t want to be expelled from another school.” My simmering resentment was a touch on the cold side.

  
“Oh honey. I haven’t been expelled from anywhere. Don’t you know? Administrations don’t give a hot shit in the desert what happens to their students unless they themselves have culpability. So I can swat your fairy down.”

  
“Good luck with that.” I proceeded to make way towards my seat. That was when he yanked one of my tails.

  
I don’t exactly know what was going thorugh my head in that split second. Time seemed to skip, because the next thing I knew, my boot was in his face.

  
“Didn’t your momma tell you never to touch a lady’s tail?”

  
The class elicited some shocked gasps. There was some whooping.

  
“You son of a—” Shane’s regeneration Quirk meant that his face wasn’t too badly hurt. He clutched at it, nonetheless. “You’ll pay for that.”

  
I took my seat. “Yeah, probably. You’re the preppy rich kid after all. Probably going to come running to your parents.” I hoped my glass house didn’t get shattered by that stone. I’d tried to keep my dad’s prior occupation a secret, especially because I hadn’t seen crap from him in years. He was rich; and everyone who knew our association always seemed to assume that I was as well.

  
Thankfully, my tails sat well enough in the chair, which was one of my fears. It seemed that, in anticipation of my newfound appendages, the school administration had opted to replace my old chair with one that had a nice hole in the back. One of the advantages of a Quirk-facing future? A lot of people got really rich really fast by appealing to the needs of our time.

  
“Alright!” The teacher finally showed up. The students that had been lounging about casually found their way to their seats. Yoko sprawled herself out on my desk.

  
“Down to business. As you’re aware, one of our students has undergone some changes over the past couple of days. Please treat her nicely in this trying time.” Our teacher gestured to me. There were some murmurs of agreement. “Secondly. I would like to bring to your attention a new student, who will be with us as we close out the year.” She turned towards the door. “Please, introduce yourself.”

  
New student? Wasn’t it kind of late to transfer in? Someone must be really eager to have their qualifications.

  
A young man walked in. He was kind of handsome, though I was never really that good at identifying that in men. He had brownish, reddish hair, and a very angular face. A twin-lensed pink camera was dangling from his neck around a cord, and you could see a little pink undershirt poking out from beneath his uniform. Swiftly picking up the chalk, he wrote out his name on the chalkboard. “My name is Kadoya Tsukasa. It’s a pleasure to meet all of you.”

  
All of my hairs stood on end, and my heart pulse quickened. He turned around, and for a split second, our gazes met. I could swear that he smiled.

  
“Take your seat.” The teacher gestured towards a seat, one that was, thankfully, far away from mine. He took it.

  
I didn’t know why. But something told me, that young man was trouble.


	4. Things Get Complicated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aiko confronts Tsukasa on the roof of the school. Tsukasa isn't all he appears to be.
> 
> (Sorry, Rider fans! But also not sorry. Especially not sorry.)

Lunch break was the worst. There were an equal number of girls gaggling around me and picking my brains about my quirk as there were crowding around Tsukasa asking about his. I heard a few stray words.

“My Quirk? It’s called Decade. I can’t show it to you in here, though. You’ll have to wait to see.”

Decade? Who came up with that name, and more importantly— what did it mean?

I didn’t have to wait long to find out.

After class, Tsukasa dragged me to the roof overlooking the city. The wind was cold, especially around my thighs. Skirts were too fun to quit, though. Tomorrow I’d have to wear higher tights.

“So, uh. Tsukasa.” I said. “What’s all this about, then? —If you’re going to ask me on a date, I’m not interested.”

He smiled. “No, no dates this time around. I’m just passing through.”

“Passing through…?”

Tsukasa began pacing. “This is a world unlike the others that I’ve visited. And yet, it’s not entirely dissimilar.”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

“The walls of reality are breaking down.” Tsukasa stopped, glancing at me. Our eyes met. His were like cold fire. “And you’ve got something to do with it.”

Uh-oh. That was one hell of a way to put me on the spot. “L-Look, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just a normal girl. W-Well, normal for this r…reality? What’s all this nonsense about realities?”

“Yeah, we didn’t meet God! We weren’t entrusted with protecting reality! The fifth, I plead it! I need my lawyer!” Yoko blurted.

Tsukasa smirked. “If you were intending on hiding it, perhaps you needed to better instruct your companion.”

My head was in my palms. “Yoko. I command you to keep this all a secret.”

Yoko’s face blanked as the command washed over her. She shook her head and ran her hands through her hair. “I’m sorry, big sis, did you say something?”

“Nope, you were imagining it.” I waved my hand.

Tsukasa raised an eyebrow.

I laughed. “I’ll explain it when you explain your whole Decade shtick.”

“What is there to explain?” Tsukasa spread his arms wide. “I am Decade.” In response to my confusion, his eyes widened. “Wait. You don’t have Kamen Riders in this universe?”

“Nope!” Yoko said. “You’re trespassing into Jump territory! I can tell, ‘cuz you’ve got no Jump energy…”

“Jump energy?” Tsukasa narrowed his eyes. “No Riders…” He raised his hand underneath his chin, looking momentarily solemn. “Then how do you keep the peace?”

“Pro heroes.” I said. “Folks like Midnight, Mt. Lady, All Might, Kamui Woods… They use their Quirks to help the commoners and maintain societal order. There’re even laws and regulations surrounding hero work, so it’s an actual job. …If I need to explain this to you, you must really come from another reality.”

“And as far as Jump energy goes, I can just tell.” Yoko said. “God was kind enough to provide me with the ability to tell when elements from other worlds that don’t belong come crashin’ into this one.”

“You’ve met God?”

“She’s very pretty. You’d like her.”

“What a bother.” Tsukasa ran his hands through his hair. “Well, I have a few words to have with this God of yours if I ever get the chance. She apparently saw fit to change a few things about me when I crossed into this reality, but thankfully I still p— Look out!”

Tsukasa tackled me to the ground as the sounds of some shots ricocheting from the roof echoed around me. It was this time that I noticed what Tsukasa was talking about.

“You’re a girl?!” I startled. There was no mistaking the weight of the breasts, now that I felt them upon me.

“Thankfully, I’m still androgynous enough to pass as whatever I want. I don’t care what you call me, but I do know what I like wearing. I enrolled as a guy because that’s what I’m used to. But that’s not important.” Tsukasa rolled off of me. “I guess you’ll get to see Decade up close.” Tsukasa waved her hand over her waist. A belt materialized out of thin air. Then she whipped a card from her pocket.

“Henshin.”

She flipped the card around and inserted it into a slot on the belt.

A very loud and very distracting voice shouted from the belt. “KAMEN RIDE! DECADE!”

The bullets continued raining down upon her, but now, she was protected by a pink superhero outfit.

“So this is the power of Decade…” I said. “Um, we’re not bulletproof. …As far as we know.”

“Stay down, then.” Tsukasa said, before she charged off of the roof.

I exchanged looks with Yoko. “We’ll let her handle this one, right?”

Yoko hid inside my shirt, nestled between my breasts. “If not, you’re my meatshield.”

“Fantastic.”


	5. Battle! Who Are The Mysterious, Masked Mooks?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsukasa and Aiko fend off the attackers. Yoko gets to be big for a little while.

The gunfire was still audible, but it no longer seemed aimed at the rooftop. I crawled to the edge and risked a peek down below, eyes wide. Yoko poked her head up the neck of my shirt to look with me.

Tsukasa was below, fighting a set of strange shadowy enemies. I couldn’t quite tell what they were. They appeared to have descended from some flying machine, but Tsukasa had taken care of that on her way down.

“Hey, why aren’t more masked heroes women like her? This is awesome.” Yoko piped up.

“Time and place, dear. Don’t be such an airhead in dangerous situations.” I used my pointing finger to gently slide her back into my shirt.

“Is that a command?” She sounded muffled.

“Do you want it to be?”

“Mmpff. Squishy.”

“That’s what I thought.” Thinking back to my training yesterday, my options were limited. I didn’t make much headway with my powers. I could use fire like an absolute novice. I wasn’t super fast or super strong. There was a time where I made an illusory, floating cupcake that fooled Yoko, but something told me that part of Yoko’s current programming was to do things for the sake of levity. She wasn’t exactly a good training partner.

“KAMEN RIDE! RYUKI!”

I startled. Tsukasa’s form had completely shifted into this slick looking red and grey suit, with weird vent-like grating on it’s face. “Showoff.” I muttered. Well, I couldn’t let her steal the spotlight like that, could I?

“I know what you’re thinking. But you need to consider Quirk regulations.” Yoko said.

“Hey, they attacked me. This is self defense.” I snorted.

“Mrph. Still leaves the problem of how we’re going to get down there. Maybe you should just jump and figure something out along the way to the bottom?”

“Do you know something?”

“Me? Never.”

I rolled my eyes. “Hey, Kitsune can’t levitate, can they?”

“I have wings to fly with. You don’t.”

“Sorry, Yoko. I’m stealing your body.” I crawled to a well defensible corner and closed my eyes.

“Hey, this is your body, you’re not stealing—mmpff!” One thing that I had managed to get the hang of yesterday was transferring my consciousness to the body of my little puppet fairy. It was the strangest feeling, but in this case, welcome. I fluttered out of my shirt and looked down at my unconscious form.

“Hey wait…” I said. “If I’m gone, who’s gonna protect me?” I focused on the puppet mind of Yoko, buried deep in my own. Then I tried to shunt it into my big body. “You said you couldn’t take it over. That doesn’t mean I can’t give it to you to protect.”

My big body’s eyes fluttered open. “Buh?”

“Hey. Yoko.” I said.

“Wait. I’m big you?” Yoko patted herself down. “But only you can occupy this body.”

“Stay safe, stay quiet.” I ordered. “Long story short, I decide which mind is where, not you. Your job is to keep— well, me— safe.”

“While you rush into danger with my body.” Yoko sniffed.

“They’re both my body.” I reminded her. “I’m literally talking to myself right now.”

“Oh yeah. I am.” Yoko said, blankly. “Well just remember, I’m not the only one who has to deal with that body if you get it injured. So stay safe, ya dolt.”

“If anyone comes up here, act like the real me would. You’ve got my memories, the imprint of my consciousness, use it like a blueprint.”

“Got it, boss. Don’t get killed! You’re tiny and squishy. Remember that!”

“I’m going to use it to my advantage.” With that, I used my fairy wings to glide down to the fight, currently taking place. For some reason, Decade was a fruit samurai now. Don’t look at me for explinations.

“Hey!” I said, floating next to his head as Tsukasa and a mook engaged in combat.

“Wh—Aiko? Where are— Oh, the fairy?” Tsukasa leaped back, readying her sword for a strike. For some reason, the mook paused to let us talk.

“I took over this body because it was the quickest way to get down here. The fairy is currently in my big body, protecting it.”

“Oh. Makes sense.”

“You’ve seen weirder?”

“Hmph. Don’t get in my way.” Tsukasa— no, Decade— rushed forward, slicing the mook’s gun clean in two.

“I came to help, ya dolt! Bleh!” I paused. “Oh no, Yoko is rubbing off on me.” Or was it the body? Did I just act more ditzy because I was in a fairy form? Oh gods, Yoko really was just a weird puppet version of me!

A mook charged at me with a club, but I was small and quick enough to dodge out of the way. “Nyeh!” I outstretched my hands, channeling my fire energy into my palms. “Eat fire!” As if on command, fire issued out from my hands. However, instead of the perfect spheres of fire my normal body produced, this was a concentrated beam.

My aim was on point. The mook was set on fire and started fleeing, only to get clubbed unconscious by Decade.

It was this time that the Pro Heroes started arriving on the scene. First was Kamui Woods, swinging in on vines and knocking a mook to the ground. “Is anyone hurt?” He shouted.

“Nothing a good night’s rest can’t heal.” Decade said.

“You a Pro?” Kamui replied, as the two faced down the remaining enemies back-to-back.

“No. Just someone they’re targeting. That vulpine fairy is on our side. She was with me when they attacked.”

“Got it. Others should be arriving soon.”

“I don’t need help.” Decade charged forward, pulling out a different card and inserting it in the belt.

“KAMEN RIDE! KUUGA!”

A black, red and gold suit formed around her, just in time for her fist to meet a mook’s face.

Kamui Woods smirked. “Heh. Quirks these days…” Without another word, the two of them continued dispatching the masked mooks. I, of course, helped, and don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.

The situation was cleaned up before the other heroes arrived on the scene. Tsukasa detransformed, and looked none the worse for wear. I, however, was exhausted.

“You look a little familiar.” Kamui Woods said when he finally got a good look at my pint sized self.

“Um. We’ve met before.” I said.

“I’m sure I’d remember meeting a fox fairy.”

“I wasn’t a fox fairy then. And I’m not a fairy now. Well, I am a fairy, but that’s not what I usually am. Um. Give me fifteen minutes.” I closed my eyes, and focused on yanking Yoko out of my big body. While doing this, I implanted a set of commands so she didn’t embarass the both of us in my absence.

It was extremely easy to take my body back over. My eyes snapped open, and I found myself hiding behind a couple of large bins, an AC box, and a wall. Nicely tucked away and safe. “Well. At least she follows orders.” I stood up, stretching. I patted down my back, shivering at the lack of wings. “The things you get used to… Ah, well, better not keep them waiting.” I rushed downstairs and out of the front door, avoiding other students in the process.

“…And that’s how my Quirk lets me have two bodies!” Yoko finished explaining things to Tsukasa and Kamui Woods by the time I arrived, panting.

“Oh. Wow. I thought you were joking, but there really IS a bigger you.” Kamui Woods said, staring at me with some amount of surprise.

“Hi. Actual me is here now.” I held my hand up, panting. “During the fight, I took over the puppet body. Smaller and harder to hit, you see. And I needed to get down ASAP. Wings were the only way.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?” Kamui Woods said. “You were being attacked up there, as well as down here.”

Yoko hid herself between my breasts once again. I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “Well, the puppet mind can’t occupy this body unless I force her into it. Once I do that, it’s a matter of ordering her to stay safe while I take care of things using my second body.”

“Oh. What a weird Quirk.”

“You’re telling me.”

“Anyway, the cops are here. I recognize you now. Miss Aiko… right?”

“You remembered my name?”

“Hard to forget a pretty face.”

“Oh, please.” I laughed.

“You’ll have to tell me the story about how you got all foxy later. I’m outta here once the cops come and we get statements. There’s no shortage of jobs, you see, so I can’t afford to linger longer than I have to.”

As if on command, the cops arrived. Statements were taken. I had a hard enough time explaining my Quirk. Tsukasa seemed to handle it with ease, as always. The perps were taken into custody.

Neither of us could answer who they were, or why they had come after us. Were they just common criminals, or did they have something to do with the Dimensional Collapse?

I was going to get to the bottom of this, no matter what.


	6. The Stage is Set! The Grand UA Entrance Exam Beckons!

The wheels of justice moved slowly, even in the superpowered world we live in. I was told I would get results from the interrogation of the villains when they came in, but that I was going to have to be put on a waiting list. Naturally, I asked the cops to not tell my mom that the gunners were shooting in my general vicinity, out of concern for her mental health. However, they told her anyway, seeing as she was my legal guardian and whatnot.

“…This is why you’re getting into UA, come hell or high water. I’ve always told you to aim for the best… This is what I meant.” Mom told me, a deadly serious look in her eye. “This is a world where those who can’t protect themselves perish.”

“That’s a little harsh, don’t you think? The whole point of getting into hero work is to help others. If I just wanted to protect myself I’d take up Judo or something.” I said.

“Bah! Normal training won’t cut it. It’s specialists come hell or high water.”

The day passed into night. Sleep was fleeting, and morning came knocking on my door soon enough. Thankfully, it was now the weekend. Which meant one thing.

I found myself out in my training spot, trying to tap into that Quirk of mine once more. I needed to know how it worked, and I needed to know what I could do.

“Put your whole heart into it!” Yoko shouted, from a safe distance. Since she’d seen fit to be a cheerleader, I used my ability to manipulate her form in order to dress her up in the appropriate outfit. She seemed to take that as a cue to take the role to the next level.

I had a small radio planted in the ground next to me to provide me with something extra to amp my mic. Present Mic’s radio show blared out the latest hits. Music was one thing that had apparently changed heavily with a Quirk-facing world, many musicians taking their gifts on-stage with specialty instruments. Even music had become a superpowered battleground.

These were the thoughts swelling in my mind as I held my palm outwardly. Power flowed through my veins, out to one point. My heart pounded in my ears as I realized what was happening. It was here, in this state, where my strength was. I took one step forward.

“Yah!”

For a split second, I saw a vision flash in front of me of a nine-tailed woman. Her penetrating gaze was levelled downward at me. A petrifying stare.

Only for a split second. The sheer rush of power flowed out of me, and then— a brilliant white light blinded me. I heard white noise and felt wind rush around me. No, I realized: I was being blown back.

I found myself lying down, and my vision had not returned. The white noise was fading into the sound of rubble. Pain soared to the forefront of sensation. How injured was I, I wondered? It was some time before my sight returned.

I’d left an impact crater when I was blown away. Deep skid marks on the ground, and a nice hole for me to rest in. At the end of a trail to a larger crater: Once green land, now turned to rubble.

I was bruised and bleeding. With a shock, I realized… This wasn’t a power I could easily control.

Yoko was fretting over me, buzzing about just above my head with a look of extreme concern. “Aiko! Aiko, are you okay? Answer me!”

“I’m… Well, I’m not dead.” I grit my teeth through the pain, forcing myself to sit up. Everything ached, and the cuts stung. They weren’t deep, thankfully.

“The power of a kitsune isn’t one to trifle with…” Yoko said. “I figured you were okay because if something happened to your big body, I’d go poof! And you’d be me foreverrrrrrrrr. A tiny, tiny lady.”

I snorted. It hurt. “The horror.”

“You’re gonna need to learn to regulate your power.” Yoko said.

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” I picked myself up. Well. At least I could stand.

A look of horror dawned on Yoko’s face. “You’re not gonna take over my tiny fairy body and force me to lug your injured self to the hospital, are you?”

“No, I’ll do it myself. It’s the only way I’ll learn.”

“Also, did you have to make my outfit so skimpy?” Yoko slumped her shoulders with a pout. “Barely covers anything. And I’m flying so you can see up my skirt… Also, didn’t know I was into midriffs…”

“Yes.” I said. “Yes, I did.” With that, I grinned. “Yoko. Enjoy it.”

Yoko’s face blanked for a second as the command washed over her. She shook her head, blinking. “I’m sorry, master, did you say something?” And with that, she was totally unconcerned about the clothes she was wearing.

“Nope. Nothing at all.”

“What were we talking about?”

“How much you liked skimpy clothing. And how you totally requested a skimpier cheerleader outfit than what you initially had. Something about extra support for me.”

“Oh, yeah.” Yoko nodded. “Well, I’m nothing if not a showoff. Helps with morale, you know.”

“Uh-huh.” I said. “…Gods, this power is going to be dangerous, isn’t it?” I winced, holding at my bruised and scraped shoulder. “Oh well. Let’s go. That’s enough training for today.”

I got home before mom did and raided the first aid cabinet. Then, I spent the evening in my bed nursing my wounds. I didn’t change Yoko’s persona or outfit. What I did do, however, was alter her appearance a little so she looked less like myself. I had to admit, I was kind of turned on by her. And that meant I was turned on by an image of myself, which was just kind of weird to me. So I changed her proportions slightly. Not too drastically; enough so she looked more like a sister of mine than an actual identical twin. That was enough to be able to enjoy her antics without getting skeeved out.

Don’t look at me like that. You’d do the same in my shoes. Up to and including thinking about all sorts of stuff you could get your little puppet self to do for pleasure.

Changing her physical form was as simple as ordering her into a trance and then telling her what her body was like. It seemed to fill out to my requests. By default, she wasn’t aware of any changes I made to her, either. I supposed I could order awareness if I wanted to, but at the moment I saw no need.

My Quirk seemed to include rapid healing of some sort, because by the next morning I was only achy and stiff as opposed to an overwhelming pain.

***

And so it went. Time seemed to slip by, between my self assigned physical training, my school lessons, and my fruitless attempts to not let the more offensive side of my quirk blow up in my face. I had more sucsess with the fairy body, but I assumed that was because she had a smaller share of my power by default. It wasn’t enough to rely on.

Ten percent of the time I seemed to be able to produce small fireballs that didn’t really do much damage. So it was either a pitiful ammount of power, or all of my power at once. That being said, I wasn’t sure if the offensive powers of my Quirk were limited to fire all on their own. I tried finding new angles for my power, but I wound up with diddly squat. I eventually decided to focus on what I knew I could do— Illusions and big booms.

Then, before I knew it, exam day was upon us. I’d managed to pass the written exams the week prior with average scores. That made sense— my attention was very, very split, and I hadn’t had the time to study the way I’d have liked. But there I was, staring down the UA building. Tension roiled in my belly. I hadn’t eaten anything that morning out of nerves. Yoko was hiding between my breasts. Of course, she was in the standard uniform as well, for the sake of consistency.

“Keep on your toes, foxling.” A familiar voice said from beside me. Tsukasa walked by, not sparing me the time of day. I caught the faintest smile on her face as she walked into the building. She’d been avoiding me ever since the attack, staying in the background. “Gods. What’s your deal, lady…” I muttered to myself. Oh well. She was aiming for UA as well? Fine by me. I’d show her that I was perfectly capable of handling myself in a fight. With a newfound determination, I strode towards the entrance.

It was time.


	7. A Chance Encounter! Youthful Heroes Come Face-to-Face!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our intrepid hero bumps into some guy in the hallway. Oh, and she meets Midoriya.

“Watch where you’re stepping, punk.” The kid with an explosive looking haircut spat at me. 

“Sorry! Sorry… Won’t happen again.” I’d just turned a corner, and some idiot wasn’t looking where he was going. It was entirely his fault (I swear). 

To make matters worse, halfway down the hallway he turned, hands in pockets, and shouted at me; “Did you even look at the layout? You’re going the wrong way for orientation, dumbass.”

“How did you know I was—”

“You’re not wearing a UA unifrom.”

“Oh.”

“Whatever. If you get lost, that’s less competition for me.”

What a rosy personality. Despite myself, I tagged along beside him, because I definitely wasn’t going to let my poor sense of direction be what screwed me over in the practical exam.

“Hey, so you’re an applicant to? That’s awesome, my name’s—”

“I don’t give a rats ass about your name! If you’re applying, you’re just another obstacle on my pathway to the top. I don’t think you’ll even make it past the exam. What’s your Quirk even supposed to be? Being fluffy?”

“I’m Aiko Akiko! But you can just call me Aiko.”

“I said I don’t c—”

“And what if I don’t care that you don’t care?”

“I ain’t got time for this crap.”

“You do, though. You have approximately until we get to the audiotorium.”

“Tch.”

“Not even going to give me your name?” I’d decided a cheery demeanor was the best way to deal with these types. My school years weren’t going to be plagued by another Shane if I could help it. At least this guy didn’t have a british accent.

The man turned to look at me, with an utterly fearsome expression. “Wanna die?”

“I mean I already kinda did once…” I said, in a small voice. That’s what reincarnations meant, right? Or was I more of a resurrection? It wasn’t really clear one way or the other.

“Wanna die a second time, then?!”

“How about we just walk to the auditorium. Quietly.”

The mystery man just upturned his nose and kept walking. I trailed along, slightly behind him. Thankfully, the student flow in the hallways was getting thicker the closer we got to our destination, so I felt less like I was about to be the victim of spontaneous murder.

“What a meany-butt.” Yoko muttered.

“What was that?” The man levelled a glare at me.

I pointed at the fairy. “That was her! I mean, she’s me, but she has a mind of her own! Kind of! Autopilot!”

“What, are you throwing me under the bus?!” Yoko said, outraged.

“Yoko! Apologize!”

My pint-sized self’s face blanked for a bit, before she shook her head and turned to face the young man. “Sorry, mister! Won’t happen again, I promise!”

“…” The man stared between the fairy and I, simmering and dumbfounded.

“…It’s my Quirk, you see…” I started twiddling my thumbs.

The man huffed and headed for the doors. I waited for a bit, now that they were in sight.

“I see you’ve met Kaachan.” A small voice said from behind me, and a little to the left. “He’s not really a bad guy… Even if he can be kind of mean…”

A young man, kinda short, with super unkempt green-tinted black hair was giving me a nervous smile.

“Kaachan? Is that his actual name, or—”

“Oh, we’ve just known each other for a while. Bakugo’s what everyone else calls him. Anyway, I’m Midoriya.” He offered a handshake, which I took.

“Aiko Akiko, but my friends call me Aiko.” I gestured to my tiny, flying companion. “And this is Yoko. Don’t ask. It’s complicated.” 

“Oh, is she your sister?”

“No, she’s me.”

“Eh?”

“It’s my Quirk. Don’t worry about it.”

“But how are there two of you? I mean, you’re separate forms. It’s pretty common for people to grow weird ears or tails and stuff, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard of someone growing another entire body.”

“I—”

“The mental strain for managing two bodies would be immense. How do you do it? Do you flicker between the two so quickly that you don’t even notice? Is it like multitasking? Or are there set functions that the fairy body can perform?”

“Well, it’s kind of like—”

“It would also be kind of cumbersome on legal forms. I don’t think there are regulations that take into account a person having multiple, physical selves. I mean, sure-- there are heroes out there with Quirks that let them temporarily manifest duplicates, but that's nothing like a constant presence.”

“Um, that’s interesting, but—”

“And what happens if one of you goes to sleep? Do you both go to sleep at the same time? Is one of your bodies’ energy reliant on the other, or are you two separate physical entities even if you’re connected with your brains? Moreover, how would such a connection be kept and maintained?”

“…Midoriya.”

“Eh?”

“Everyone’s inside already.”

“Oh crap, we’re gonna be late!” Without another word, he hurried to the doors. I, of course, was the last one inside. I hurried over to my seat just in time for the lights to dim, and for the presenation to begin…


End file.
